Longest Night
by Fianna9
Summary: For: prowlxjazz Halloween 2019 challenge. Series: Afreet. Summary: Prowl decides to invite his surviving clan to help preform a special ceremony under the light of the four full moons. AU
1. Prologue and world explanation

Further mythology of the series has expanded. I have no intention to mock or abuse anyone's beliefs is involved in this AU. I'm an American, and my sources for the basis are mostly D&D, translations of documents, books, 101 Arabian Nights and my own imagination.

In this series, the jinn are a race that live alongside the Cybertronians. In the past some interbred with Praxians which is why that city's residents are more likely to believe in them in the modern age. There are currently five types of jinn mentioned in this universe. Genie is a term used for a any kind of bound jinn forced to serve a master.

Afreet = fire jinn  
Jann = air jinn  
Sila = metal/earth jinn  
Marid = liquid jinn  
Ghul = death jinn. powerful and dangerous to anyone encountered, they live in crypts and other dark places.


	2. Longest Night

"Do you know what Prowl wants with us?" Kup asked as he and Blurr walked toward the small courtyard. It was bright tonight with the four full moons in the sky. Habitually he looked up watching for Seekers even though Blurr would detect them long before his old optics could. The jann had a knack for locating the fliers that was hard to conceal from the rest of the Autobots. Ratchet's recent loud grumblings about problems caused by enhanced visual systems had helped a lot although Springer was still a bit suspicious.

"I-think-so-since-he-really-could-only-be-doing-a-couple-of-things-on-a-night-like-this," Blurr hedged as he practically danced around Kup while they headed down the road to a small courtyard near the center of Iacon. The jann always had difficulty staying still but especially when he was eager to do something. This was a bit different though; there was a franticness to his pacing that wasn't normally there.

Kup, now long familiar with deciphering the rapid speech took a puff on his cy-gar before launching into a story about a fun time he'd had in Cyber City during a full moon celebration. It kept Blurr entertained and fairly quiet until they were close enough to see the group of six clustered just outside the entrance to the courtyard.

Giving Ratchet and Ironhide a casual wave Kup checked out the others he knew weren't privy to the secret. Blurr gave a respectful nod to Jazz, the guised jann acknowledging the more powerful afreet and his superiority. No need for a dominance fight in front of the unenlightened especially one he would lose even if both were bound away from most of their power.

"Good to see you, Blurr," Bluestreak called out excitedly as he hugged the scout. Each able to easily follow the other they'd bonded over rapid speech and chatter shortly after they'd met. "I didn't know you were part Praxian like Ironhide and Ratchet."

"Must be a distant connection. Neither of you look much like us," Smokescreen said after giving Kup a small wing dip and discretely passing him his winnings from the bet on Tracks and Powerglide. Nodding toward Chromia standing discretely behind Ironhide, he added with a small waggle, "Unless you're with Ratchet."

"They're here because I asked them to join us," Prowl said as he walked out to rejoin the group. "Ratchet and Ironhide are acknowledged members of my clan; Chromia is Ironhide's conjunx and thus kin to our clan by claim. Bluestreak, Smokescreen, Jazz and Blurr I have claimed as kin to our clan because we are stronger together than separated. Kup, you are Blurr's guardian and are acknowledged as kin by that claim."

"A lot of fancy words to say you want us to defer to you as clan leader tonight," Smokescreen said even as he made a pleased flicker of acknowledgement of the honor. "The celebration of the four full moons doesn't have many rituals. Even the Arbet 'Aqmar Kamila was just a party of celebration even in Praxus."

Tonight is something special and rare," Prowl countered. "Not many remembered or celebrated the Arbet 'Aqmar Alzalam, but my clan remembered the old ways and honored the four full moons on the longest night."

"There's a name I haven't heard in a long time," Kup said with a surprisingly serious look on his face. "You actually got all the components?"

"Yes," Prowl flickered his glance around the group before sending them a set of instructions. "Nine is the optimum number for this particular ceremony, and this is the first time it has occurred since the devastation. Please stay silent and do not stand in front of the candle."

"Always wanted to see this. Never thought I'd be part of it. Lead the way youngster," Kup shooed Prowl toward the courtyard. With a chuckle the group followed him although they fell serious as they entered and saw the preparations. Four candle stands of alternating heights were set up in a square in the center of the open area.

"Jazz, Chromia please stand in front of the western candle," Prowl said motioning toward a red pillar candle on a ornate stand shoulder-high to a Praxian. The pair looked at each other before standing as to each side with a space for a mech in between them. Ironhide noted that Jazz seemed very solemn for someone who usually acted happy and carefree.

"Blurr, Kup, please stand in front of the eastern candle," Prowl intoned as the pair obliged and moved behind a knee-high white candle on a plain stand. Both stayed quiet even though they normally bantered constantly if not on mission. Kup was studying the layout intently.

"Smokescreen, Ironhide please stand in front of the southern candle," Prowl said motioning toward the light blue candle standing ankle-high on the ground in a simple candlestick. Smokescreen gave Ironhide an "after you" gesture and followed him to their position. Both made certain not to kick over the candle.

"Bluestreak, Ratchet please stand in front of the northern candle," Prowl intoned waiting for the pair to move behind the gray candle at Bluestreak's waist height. Bluestreak was as silent as Blurr with his sniper-focus on a mysterious ceremony he'd never heard of that he was being included in despite his lack of knowledge.

Once everyone was in place Prowl picked up and carried a black candle on a silver candle stand and set it precisely in the center of the square. The straight pillar was helm-height with the top of the candle was equal with the points of Prowl's chevron and had four long prongs for feet. Something about the action made Blurr, Smokescreen and Jazz straighten and stare at it.

Once it was in place he quickly turned so that his back was to the black candle while he was facing toward Smokescreen and Ironhide. Removing a pair of small red crystals from his subspace Prowl approached and knelt before the candle. Striking the crystals together he created a small spark that lit the candle revealing a soft white flame. " Here under the first moon we give thanks to our southern kin of the first moon for their aid and protection. May the streams shelter them. May the streams fuel our homes and starve our foes."

Straightening, he backed toward the black candle before carefully pivoting toward the east and repeating all of his previous actions in front of Blurr and Kup. After striking the crystals together a blue flame flickered on the candle. "Here under the second moon we give thanks to our eastern kin for their aid and protection. May the winds shelter them. May the winds cool us in heat and chase our foes from the skies." After Prowl finished speaking a golden line appeared on the ground next to the stand and shot straight toward the south candle. Smokescreen and Chromia both stared at the glow trying to comprehend how this had just happened. Neither noticed that Blurr and Kup didn't seem surprised by the bizarre action or that the speedster gave Prowl a small nod at the end of his speech.

Prowl's frame stayed still but the relief flickered in his field briefly before repeating all of his actions and heading toward Bluestreak and Ratchet who were both watching Prowl in near disbelief. Ratchet had heard about this kind of thing from his carrier, but he'd never really believed in it until he'd met Jazz and learned what he was. Prowl knelt before the candle stand before standing and lighting the gray candle. The flame flickering before them was orange as Prowl intoned, " Here under the third moon we give thanks to our northern kin for their aid and protection. May the land be firm beneath them. May the land support our homes and shake under our foes." Another golden line zipped into existence between the northern and eastern candles.

No one vented as Prowl repeated his actions and approached the red candle where Jazz and Chromia were waiting both tense for different reasons. The bright red flame flickered once but steadied into a solid burn. " Here under the fourth moon we give thanks to our western kin for their aid and protection. May the flames warm them. May the flames comfort us and burn our enemies." Two golden lines flared from either side and formed the last sides of the square. Jazz gave Prowl a fraction of a nod; so far so good. Now for the dangerous part.

Walking backward toward the center, Prowl held the crystals above his head and struck them together trying to light the candle with a single spark. Optics glued on Jazz he saw the smile of satisfaction; it had worked and there was now a black flame on the candle. Four silver flames flickered to life at the base of the stand and formed a square that just missed Prowl's legs. He had managed to position himself precisely where it would not catch him. Straightening his frame and staring at the sky, he said, "Here under the four moons we recognize our dark kin and reject them with the strength from our four-corner kin. May the crypts confine them to the realm of the dead. May the protected living dwell in safety from their power."

Silence fell on the group as everyone, even the skeptical, waited for a sign. Blurr and Jazz both focused not on the silver square but on the black flame on the candle. The flame flickered and pulsed the entire time Prowl was speaking. After he was done it flared four times before extinguishing itself consuming the entire black candle in the process. The silver lines pulsed four times before vanishing as if they had never existed. The golden lines and four colored flames all pulsed four times and then extinguished leaving four unburned candles.

Complete silence fell over the group as they processed the strange events. Prowl waited a full klik before stepping away from the center and saying, "Thank you for attending. Please enjoy the rest of your night."

"Yeah, I think I'm going to head inside and find a small party for some fun," Smokescreen replied before grabbing Bluestreak's arm and hustling the younger mech away from the scene ignoring the questions being sputtered at him as they left the area. He had no explanation for some of what they'd seen and didn't want to try to think about what it might have meant.

"I-think-I'll-join-them-see-you-at-first-light-for-patrol," Blurr said to Kup before heading off after the pair. Despite not knowing what he was they might need and welcome a protective presence tonight.

"You have some explaining to do," Chromia whispered to Ironhide as Prowl insisted to Ratchet he could clean things up properly. Kup helped usher the trio off to his quarters by suggesting they break out a stash of Gygaxian Double Moonshine he'd kept for a special occasion.

"So, how many of them realize you risked their frames and sparks doing this?" Jazz asked as Prowl carefully packed away the candle stands in a box to store in his quarters. He made no effort to touch the items and avoided even the candles that Prowl was carefully reboxing with the empty spot in the center something he wouldn't even look at. Jazz knew what that had been made of and even he wanted nothing to do with it. "Two full Praxians in place of a sila and marid was risky. That why you put the outcrosses with them?"

"Ratchet, Ironhide, Kup and Smokescreen all know enough about the ritual to realize what I was trying to accomplish even if they do not completely believe. Bluestreak is old enough to have heard of them in myths. Chromia trusts in Ironhide enough to go along with it although I expect she is currently questioning the brothers extensively. Blurr knew what I was doing. If it means that Smokescreen and Bluestreak start to question events it is worth that price to have the safety it entails," Prowl replied. "My creator told me about this ritual and warned me about what happened the last time it failed. Although it was risky not having the proper components, but my calculations said the substitutions should work given the forces of will and survival instincts involved. None of us, even you, want to deal with them in Iacon."

"Too much death around the perimeter to completely keep them out any other way. They'd draw a lot of power here," Jazz agreed. After a glance around he let his true nature slip into his visor while staring at his master. Although most never said the name for fear of attracting attention, the afreet felt strong enough to risk it. "Half-surprised you didn't try to send the ghul after the Decepticons."

Prowl turned at looked at Jazz, complete seriousness on his face. "Not even they deserve that fate."

A/N:

Arbet 'Aqmar Kamila = Google translate for "four full moons" in Arabic. Praxian festival celebrating the four moons being full at the same time. Usually involves music and dancing under the skies.

Arbet 'Aqmar Alzalam = Google translate for "dark four moons" in Arabic. Ancient Praxian ceremony initiated to continue the banishment of the ghul from Praxus. Traditionally has a member of each of the four main types of jinn involved. Takes place under the light of the four full moons if it falls on the longest night.

Types of jinn:

East = white = jann, air djinn

South = light blue = marid, liquid djinn

West = red = afreet, fire djinn

North = gray = sila, metal djinn

Center = black = ghul, death djinn. powerful and dangerous, they live in crypts and cemeteries and consume mecha.


End file.
